Senate Moves Forward to Restore America’s Great Waters
Committee Approves Series of Bills to Restore Water Ecosystems that Protect People, Wildlife, and the Economy
Members of America’s Great Waters Coalition are commending the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for passing a suite of restoration bills that will authorize needed funding, and bolster coordination and oversight to advance restoration plans for seven Great Waters across the country. The Committee also passed a reauthorization of the National Estuary Program to benefit smaller estuarine systems. The Committee passed the following bills with bipartisan support:
H.R. 4715 The Clean Estuaries Act
S. 2739 Puget Sound Recovery Act
S. 3073 Great Lakes Ecosystem Restoration Act
S. 1816 Chesapeake Bay Clean Water & Ecosystem Restoration Act
S. 3025 Columbia River Basin Restoration Act
S. 1311 Gulf of Mexico Restoration and Protection Act
S. 3119 Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act
S.3539 San Francisco Bay Restoration Act
“These bills acknowledge the importance of America’s Great Waters, our nation’s crown jewels,” said Malia Hale, director of Restoration and Water Resources programs for National Wildlife Federation and co-chair of the America’s Great Waters Coalition. “Today’s Senate action is a critical step to lifting all boats and restoring the waters that millions of people depend on for their health, jobs and way of life—this effort will be vital in addressing the impacts of global warming.”
Each of the bills authorized investments for ongoing restoration projects—a key step in obtaining needed restoration dollars at a time when legislators must justify any additional appropriations. These investments represent money well spent, as they will ensure clean, clear streams for all Americans and a strong return on investment; in the Great Lakes, for example, a recent economic study determined that every one dollar invested in restoration yields two dollars in benefits.
These bills will help all levels of government manage major threats to water quality, such as non-point source pollution and invasive species. Some bills address major gaps in the Clean Water Act that have not been remedied nearly 40 years after it was signed into law. Declining water quality threatens hundreds of threatened and endangered species—such as the Brown Pelican in the Gulf of Mexico and the Orca in the Puget Sound—that these Great Waters support.